Things I’m loving in May and Giveaway

There’s a smell, and I’ve always thought it was timothy hay, but never really knew for sure.  We would be driving down the country roads with the windows down in the old beater pickup at one certain time of the year, and it was just this sweet smell, not floral exactly and not hay exactly, but just delicate and stunning. We stopped the pickup several times and would try and figure out what it was for sure, but it is still a mystery, and I haven’t smelled it in many years.  I really would like to smell that one more time.

smashbox.jpgPatti (aka Cavewoman) at Blogdorf Goodman’s in her foundation primer marathon suggested two that really worked for me. The second one that I’m almost loving more than the La Prairie primer is the Smashbox Photo Finish primer. This one I’ve been electing to wear just by itself some days. It just gives a glow to the unfoundationed skin that’s lovely, filling in all the rough patches and leaving the skin so smooth.  Odd how something becomes a staple so fast. Just two months ago, I didn’t even know I needed a foundation primer, now I wear them on their own on the days when I don’t wear foundation. Make sure you get the new pink one that has the UVA/UVB SPF 15. They have a new Photo Finish Bronzing Primer that has caught my eye too, which sounds really wonderful for “I have no interest in wearing foundation” days in the summer. Luckily it is out of stock for now — oh, hell, QVC has it.

Colombina the Terrible suggested Comodynes self-tanning towelette a week or so ago when I asked for a self-tanner comodynes.jpgrecommendation, and I dutifully ordered some from eBay.  These are amazing. I took one out last night and quickly applied them to my legs just to see how it would look.  Quickly only to test the “ease of application factor” and because I wasn’t going to be wearing shorts this week.  Normally when I do this so quickly, I get a mess of streaks and blobs of dark tanner.  This stuff just gave me a nice, even golden glow. Not too tan, but a good base, and there are no streaks or blobs, even with the speedy application. This is what I had hoped that Jergens slow tanner thing would be, but that pretty much sucked on me, leaving horrible streaks and dark blobby spots.  The Comodynes is perfection, I’m going to need to order up a case and test reapplication to get a darker tan.  They are available on eBay and several other sites, including their own.

pilot.jpgPilot razor point extra fine pens color pack.  I’m a pen freak. Roller ball, felt tip, standard tip, fountain pen, doesn’t matter.  Office Depot is a place I don’t go when I have no time to leisurely lollygag because I can burn through hours just going through the pens, selecting something fun and new and colorful that is just writey perfection.  Pilot does a pack of all different colors of the razor point ultra fine pens — pink, purple, green, brown, red, orange — and I love to write in color. The little razor tip on it is the right fineness — not so fine that you can barely see the lines, but thin enough that you get a nonblobby application (having an anti-blobby day).  BTW, Pilot also has a fake fountain pen pen that is wonderful. I’m having trouble tracking down any more of them, and my sons are now working out elaborate schemes to steal the ones I do have.  If you see them, snag a pack, they have all the charm of writing with a fountain pen without all the mess.

Perfume in more often than regular rotation has been Ormonde Jayne Frangipani and TDC Sel de Vetiver. Not sure why, but I’ve been grabbing for these two with regularity. I expect the Sel de Vetiver to pick up as the hot months hit.  That salty/earthy thing is doing it for me.  In other perfume new, my sister talked me out of my backup bottle of Serge Lutens Un Lys. Ever have that sinking feeling you’re going to regret something as soon as you do it? Yup, that’s pretty  much how I feel about this bit of stupidity on my part, but she is totally in love with that scent and begged and pleaded and looked at me with those accusing big sister eyes. I caved.  Other bit of news, I have my bottles of Plus que Jamais and Sous le Vent on their way from Paris, woo-hoo!  Hopefully I’ll get the call next week that they have cleared customs from what is now my new best friend, Christine, who arranges delivery for DHL shipments that come into the airport.

Okay, this week the drawing will be a choice, and I’ll throw out something additional to see if there is any interest.  First, the winner will have a choice of either a sample of Guerlain Metalys, Guerlain Attrape Coeur,  Guerlain Cuir Beluga, Guerlain Angelique Noire or Guerlain Vega. To enter, just leave a comment and indicate you’d like to be in the drawing. I’ll have my husband or son or puppy help me pick out a name, and I’ll announce the winner in Friday’s post.  Also, I’d like to offer to the winner, if they want it, an empty Attrape Coeur bee bottle or an empty Serge Lutens bell jar (Rose de Nuit, Bois de Violette or Fumerie Turque).  I can’t seem to bring myself to throw these away, but I’m not a collector of anything except the juice inside the bottles, but I think some people do collect these things and would like them.  If y’all would like to see these included in regular drawings, I’m happy to do that, just let me know in comments.

  • Jane says:

    **==

  • Jane says:

    Please enter me in your drawing.

  • bren says:

    Hi Patty,

    Please add me to the drawing. I haven’t tried any of the Guerlains or Lutens you are giving away (sigh). Perhaps one day!

  • BBliss says:

    Patty –
    Thank you for the link on the pens – I *must* have the variety pack with all the colors! And, yippee – a fountain without the fuss – which we don’t seem to have the time for here…though the more you use them, the better they work.
    Thanks again!

  • V.Dentata says:

    Thanks for the (trustworthy) review on the self-tanner towelettes…I might actually try them this year instead of remaining pasty white! I keep looking at the bottles of self-tanner and the store and not buying them because I’m afraid they will be streaky and blobby, bleah.
    Please enter me in the drawing 🙂

  • Flora says:

    Hi Patty,

    I do not want to enter the drawing this time – I have a shop where I can try Guerlains if I want, lucky me.

    BTW That is some sisterly love, giving up your Un Lys! Mine would have to pry it out of my cold dead hands. :((

    Oh, and the sweet hay-like smell? Funny you should mention that – I was just thinking about the sweet clover and the one we had growing up in New England – called Sweet Fern but really a shrub, not a fern – at twilight it would give off the most delicious aroma you can imagine. The plant is nondescript, so if you did not know where it was coming from you would be quite puzzled.

    Both of these smells say “country” to me – and just last night I posted my Different Company perfume contest entry on Scenteur7 with both of these ingredients in my fantasy perfume, and today I come over here and read about your experience! Great minds thinking alike, and all that, I guess. :d

  • CindyN says:

    Patty,
    I’d love to be in the drawing. Also, you may want to try L’Oreal sublime bronze tan towelettes–available in most all drug stores. They and Neutragena (sp) Micro Mist (spray on)self-tanner are my staples. They each work exceptionally well after moisturizing the skin.

  • Veronica says:

    Hi Patty. Should be back in the states next month. Please enter me in the drawing. Guess what?? I finally caved and ordered a T3 hairdryer….plus the wet/dry iron thingee. Couldn’t help myself. Is your hubbard retired? Dunno how all the benefits go, but there’s a website for AAFES, and a site within the mall has both items on sale and there’s a 10% discount on top of that. (I’m still an EBAY virgin.) Will have to get over that quickly. I know I should be emailing you directly, but I can’t always get online from here. Who do you rec for Kerastase–the pink stuff? Soon as I get back, I’m all over that stuff. I CANNOT wait to buy some fragrance when I get back. I came here with nuthin and you should have seen me when I got a magazine today. I practically crammed one of those nasty scent strips up my nose. The guys here get all curious when I check our your blog. They see all that pink and the “pin up” girls and they want to know what I’m lookin at. They don’t understand why anyone would want to blog about perfume, but they’re not above holding down this one smelly guy and shoving fabric softener sheets down his shirt. In fact, the day I got here, the guys brought my bags to my room and with big smiles on their faces, said “Hey, it doesn’t smell like feet and balls in here.” Looked all wistful and such. Hmmm, on that note, I guess I should be going.

  • March says:

    PS I pronounce it “co-mo-dynes.” If that’s wrong, they should spell it better.:”>

  • March says:

    Guess who’s lurking…
    :d

    I love that Smashbox stuff. I use the green one to counteract my red tones. The finish is just amazing.

    Those Pilot Varsity fountain pens are my regular utensil — I have my dad hooked on them too! FWIW I get them at my local artists supply store, which generally has lots of cool pens to play with. My favorite is the purple, and the teal is really pretty. (Dad goes with plain old black, though.) They write beautifully but they’re cheap enough I’m not weeping whenever I lose one (and I lose them regularly.)

  • Patty says:

    Pam, not sure on the pronunciation of Comodynes, but I’d think comodines but if it’s French, it could be coumodeenay. Well, that’s my horrible French for the day. 🙂

    We try and be a full service blog around here.

  • Pam says:

    Hey, Patty. Great post, very helpful, from pens to tanning cloths. BTW, how do you pronounce Comodynes? This redneck is probably pronouncing it wrong.

    Thanks for the heads up on those pens. Will check the link you provided. And thanks for the lovely excerpt from Greenleaf Whittier. We recently had a unit on him in home school.

    Oh, yes, I’d like to be included for the free samp. As lovely as the bottles are, I don’t have room for any more empties. Just the juice, ma’am, just the juice.

    Hope you’ll get your Guerlain frags next week. Have a great evening.:)

  • violetnoir says:

    Ooh, ooh, ooh! I collect Guerlain bottles and boxes, Patty. Please put me in the drawing. Thanks ever so!

    Hugs!

  • Patty says:

    BBliss, a fellow pen lover! All I can find on the fake fountain pen is Pilot and then it is striped on the base with Varsity written on it. They had them in a couple of colors.

    Silly me, I was foolishly looking at Office Max, and here’s a link to the pilot site with them.

  • BBliss says:

    Love the paragraph on the pens – I too am particular – and love to waste time in office supply stores. My husband just thinks I’m strange – actually he’s the weirdo (prefers plain-old Papermates). Since I am always on the hunt for pens and perfumes can you tell me the name of the Pilot fake fountain pen…and please do include me in your Guerlain drawing this week, too!
    Thank you!

  • Patty says:

    Roseattar, I think you are right!!! I’ve googled this one, and it looks like it would grow in Kansas. I also remember seeing those plants, just thought they were weeds. Found this poem too:

    There’s the same sweet clover-smell in the breeze;
    And the June sun warm
    Tangles his wings of fire in the trees,
    Setting, as then, over Fernside farm.

    From “Telling the Bees” by John Greenleaf Whittier

    Thank you! One great mystery of my life is solved. Now I have to go find some more to smell.

  • Patty says:

    Beba, I have two of the Attrape Coeur empty bee bottles, plus one that is full. So if you’d like one of the empties, even if you don’t win, I’d be happy to send it to you. Just send me your address by clicking on the Contact us over on the left side of the page.

    It will make me way less guilty to move these pretty bottles out of here. The only ones I keep are the Caron one, but only because I can refill those.

  • Roseattar says:

    I know the sweet, grassy scent you’re talking about! I wonder if it is this plant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melilotus_officinalis

    It’s naturalized across the US, and the the sweet smell it has comes from the coumarin it contains.

  • Twibbet says:

    Hi, I would love to be in the drawing – I haven’t gotten to try any Guerlains yet, I’m dying of curiosity! This is a great site, I’m discovering all kinds of troublesome lemmings.

  • Josey says:

    Ooo! add me to the drawing! :d After reading about Guerlain Cuir Beluga I am DYING for a whiff :d

  • AngelaS says:

    I feel my credit card vibrating–I know I’m going to have to buy some Guerlain samples soon–but in the meantime please enter me in the drawing! Thank you. And I can relate to your comment about Timothy Hay. I love the smell of cottonwood trees.

  • Monica says:

    Count me in on the drawing as well! I really really want to have a chance to try Vega. =)

  • cait says:

    Ooh, Patty, you always have these great sensory experiences, like the maybe Timothy Hay. I wanna be entered in the drawing and the bottle is a major lure!

  • Beba says:

    Surely, I will like to be in the drawing!
    And would accept any empty Guerlain bottle, I collect them and would gladly pay for shipping for those I do not have.

  • sybil says:

    Hi, Patty…please put me in the drawing. I am also loving Sal de Vetiver, too! (And my daughter has practically used up the Sampaquita!) Thanks!